Kostomarovo, the Voronezh region. Map of the Voronezh Region

It has long been known that success in any business depends on two components: hard work and a good rest. Sometimes in a person's life there comes a time when, to escape from the problems and bustle of the outside world, one beach and a warm sun are not enough. I want something more, to relax not only the body, but also to feel peace in my soul. In search of peace, many come to the picturesque village of Kostomarovo. The Voronezh region, the map of which is presented in the article, is replete with beautiful landscapes. But some of the areas deserve special attention. It is about one of these places that will be discussed later.

Location

The village of Kostomarovo (Voronezh region) is situated among the Cretaceous cliffs of the Don Belogorie. It passes along the Central Russian Upland. The settlement is located on the Don River (a map of the Voronezh Region will allow you to orient in this matter). Here there are chalky pillars-remnants, commonly called Divas, which were formed as a result of erosion. And along the girder and river slopes, the entrances to the famous complex of Kostomarovsky caves are gaping. The most picturesque place of the Central Russian Upland is the high parts of the right bank, known as the Don White Mountains. The height of the Cretaceous rocks on the right bank of the Don reaches 242 m. On the slopes of the Kostomarovskaya gully at a slight distance from each other there are 8 caves. Most of them are cut in the chalk-marly rocks. In the grounds of the divas are concentrated the entrances to the cave temple in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the Spassky temple, the nearby cell and the cave collapsed next to the diva.

The worldly abode

To find peace and feel the tranquility of silence, it is not necessary to go to the mountains of Tibet. Seven hundred kilometers from the capital of our country, not far from Divnogorje, there is an Orthodox Russian pearl - Spassky Monastery in Kostomarovo, Voronezh Region. According to legend, the first ancient Christians came here in the VIII century. The unique beauty of the Pridonja inspired them to create an abode of self-improvement and peace of mind. It was here, hiding from persecution, in ancient times the hermits found peace. Later, during the church union in Ukraine, in the Cretaceous caves settled refugee monks. At the same time they founded the Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery, which was originally used as a cell in the Belogorod men's monastery. The architecture of the caves is closely intertwined with the motives of the local nature. Cretaceous pillars, caves and the earth, dried up by beams of the scorching sun, all this, having united in a uniform landscape, reminds sacred places of Christianity - Palestine, Favor, Golgotha, Gethsemane ...

History of development

Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery existed for 7 centuries. During the revolution in 1917, it was closed. But despite this, part of the clergy remained in the caves. The last of their inhabitants was the elder Peter (Eremeenko), now glorified as a holy martyr in the face of saints. Before the Great Patriotic War, he was sent to prison, in the walls of which the monk died. In wartime, caves were used as bomb shelters. Then, after the Victory, the Spassky Monastery was opened to the inhabitants of local neighborhoods as a temple. However, soon after the Khrushchev persecutions, the church was closed again. The reason for this was an unsatisfactory assessment of the conditions that existed in the monastery. The commission considered them not to meet sanitary and hygienic standards. The local population also belonged to the monastery with open hostility: church buildings were burnt, some chalk pillars were destroyed, old icons were used by children instead of ice caps. Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery was officially returned to the Russian Orthodox Church 80 years after the end of the October Revolution. The restoration of the holy monastery involved three nuns - Joasaph, Seraphim, Dionysius. With their own forces, they revived the old, destroyed temples, built a new one, and also took care of the road and hotel for the pilgrims.

Visit Features

You can get to the village of Kostomarovo (Voronezh) from Moscow through Liski, where the Divnogorye museum-reserve is located in the open air. Several trains run from the Kursk and Kazan stations to the city. From the city of Liski - by bus, train or taxi (approximate cost - 400 rubles.). To visit the monastery, women are supposed to wear a long skirt, which you can get right at the entrance to the monastery. Here is a water column with a small belfry.

Temple of the Savior Not Made by Hands

Visions of arriving pilgrims and tourists from afar attracted by the visible silhouette of the majestic cathedral. Entrance to it form two limestone mountains, crowned with golden and scarlet domes and a belfry between them. In the summer, when church crosses shine in the rays of a bright sun against the azure sky, the Cretaceous Divas look particularly impressive. The whole Cathedral of the Savior of the Holy Face is located under a sheer cliff-faced rock and invariably impresses with its size - it is able to simultaneously accommodate about 2 thousand parishioners. The ceiling of the temple holds several columns of 12-meter height. Behind the cathedral is the chapel of the martyrs of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia. You can go there by open transition. Then there is a fraternal tomb, a secluded cell and a chapel. The cathedral is organized by the nuns themselves. Here you can see the Valaam icon of the Mother of God. Even today, it shows traces of the shots that were received by the shrine during the years of persecution of the church.

Voronezh region Caves

On the slope of the mountain are scattered entrances to the small grottoes, in which once lived the monks. During the revival of the monastery, they were fortified and restored. However, mold has already appeared on the surface of the walls covered with putty. Of particular interest are the cave piles, which are tiny vertical spaces in which it is impossible to lie or sit. To humble their flesh, monks could stay in them for several years. At the time of sleep, they strengthened their bodies with hooks driven into the wall.

Temple in the name of Seraphim of Sarov

This cathedral in Kostomarovo (Voronezh region) was founded relatively recently - at the beginning of the XX century. As a rule, there is no one here during the day. At this time you can come, pray alone. The rocky roof of the temple was chosen by swallows ...

The Cave of Penance

Another attraction in the territory of the monastery of the village of Kostomarovo (Voronezh region) is the Cave of Penance. It is located at the end of the Pilgrimage Trail and represents a narrow, long tunnel, on the walls of which hang icons and candles lighting the way. As you move forward, the ceiling gradually decreases, so that walking on it can once again bow his head before the Lord. The exit of the tunnel is located in the cell, where the monks used to confess the parishioners. Before the Revolution, people with especially grave sin came here with penitence, and after the confession the monks appointed them penance.

Other Shrines

Spassky Monastery is located on the slope of the mountain, called "Golgotha". At its very top is a large cross, which is associated with a long tradition. It was believed that if in his slot to put a note with a cherished desire, then it surely will be fulfilled. But today, at the request of nuns, the notes are left on the windowsills of the nearby chapel of the Crucifixion. The youngest church on the territory of the monastery is the Execution of the dead, consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God. It was built under the auspices of the local bishop at the very foot of Mount Calvary. It is here that Kostomarovskaya icon of the Mother of God, painted by Shokorev at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, is kept. In winter, church services are held in the church. The monastery is not the only attraction of Kostomarovo. Voronezh region can boast of other, equally interesting corners. Two kilometers from this amazing, spiritually rich place, on the bank of the Don, a holy spring beats , which was dedicated to the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. In the city of Liski there is a huge reserve "Divnogorye" with cave Divas and a monastery.